And in our moments of weakness
by Amy Nouson
Summary: So basically a series of one-shots that I will be uploading whenever I feel like. A lot of family moments. Arthur and Merlin bromance and maybe a little bit of Merthur. This is my first fanfic so I have no idea what is happening. Please give me a review or critique! It would be greatly appreciated.
1. Sweet Dreams, Merlin

"Merlin! Wake up!"

Gaius shook the sleeping figure that had been up all night reading spell books.

"You can't afford to be late again!"

"Yes I can." Came the sleepy reply.

Gaius smiled. Yes, he could. Arthur wouldn't actually do anything except yell and threaten. And if Gaius admitted the truth, he knew Merlin might actually like getting yelled at. Arthur could yell all he wanted; Merlin enjoyed insulting the Prince in return. One day his mouth was going to get him in trouble, but that day was not today.

"I've got breakfast waiting for you. Now get up!"

Five minutes later Merlin was still in bed. At this point, Gaius had had enough. He yanked the sleeping boy out of bed, roughly dressed him, and dragged him to the table.

"Now I have to leave early today. One of the youngest Barkeepers children is sick and I have to tend to her."

"Alright." Merlin mumbled, not really comprehending a word he was saying.

Merlin didn't notice when Gaius left. His eyes drooped closed and he was soon sleeping next to his uneaten porridge that was fast becoming cold.

"Merlin!" Came the yell as the Prince came barreling down the steps, almost colliding with a young maid. He had taken a shortcut through the kitchens and was now paying for it. He hadn't seen this girl before. She must have been new. With a quick apology and the assurance she was alright, he quickly went along his way.

The maid, whose name was Charlotte, was indeed quite new. It was her first time in the castle, and to have already seen Prince Arthur himself was quite the achievement. However with a furrowed brow, she turned to cook.

"That poor man! What did he do to anger the Prince so much?"

Cook barely looked up from the dough she was kneading.

"Oh that's just Merlin. He's the Prince's man servant. You'll soon get to know him. He's a very likable chap. He'll probably collide into you before you meet him."

"What did he do? The Prince looked furious!"

"Oh, I don't know. It's usually one thing or another. He never stays angry for long. They have a very interesting relationship. You'll soon hear about it from the other servants. Now pass me the butter."

When Arthur finally reached Gaius' chamber, he fully planned to slam open the door and make himself known by yelling something or other. Probably a load of chores. But when he opened the door the words died in his mouth. Merlin was sound asleep on the table. His head was flopped onto his hands and there was a cold bowl of porridge next to him. He looked so peaceful that Arthur couldn't bear to wake him. He walked in the room, silently closing the door behind him. Merlin's hair was mussed; he obviously hadn't brushed it. Arthur crept carefully toward Merlin. Noting the dark circles under his eyes. It was then he made the snap decision to let Merlin sleep. Carefully Arthur lifted the sleeping figure up. It wasn't hard. Merlin weighed nothing. Arthur made a mental note to make sure Merlin ate more. He gently opened the door to Merlins room. Per usual there was clothes and books strewn everywhere. Arthur carefully picked his way through the mess and laid Merlin down gently. He was going to walk away, but then noticed Merlin was still wearing boots. Wincing from the memory of his sore feet the last time he wore boots to bed, Arthur began to take Merlin's shoes off. While quietly grumbling,

"I swear Merlin. I'm going to make you clean out my stables for a whole year after this. You owe me."

Picking up the crumpled blanket that was lying near the bed, he tucked it over Merlin.

"Sweet dreams Merlin. And you owe me." He said before tiptoeing out, and closing the door behind him.


	2. Not Alone

**Hey guys! I'm so happy you like my story! Is this how you leave an authors note? I'm still figuring some stuff out. Might be a while till I write again, cause I honestly have no idea what the next chapter is going to be. I would love to hear some suggestions! Happy Thanksgiving!**

"How dare you. Did I raise you to be this stupid?" Uther's eves were hardened with hate.

Arthur shrank under them.

"I was just trying-"

"Silence. It is my time to speak." Uther's tone was menacing.

"Proposing the people should have the freedom to criticize the king? Have you lost your mind? And you just had to do it in a court meeting to. You have to think, Arthur! If the people have a voice they will rise against you."

He looked at Arthur.

"Why are you slouching?! Sit up and look like the Prince you are! Get out of my sight!" When Arthur didn't move fast enough, he snapped out,

"Now!"

The second he turned away from his father, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Ridiculous." He thought.

"A Prince doesn't cry."

He adopted a mask (as a Prince should) of indifference and walked to his room, nodding at some of the knights as he passed. If only he could fly right now. Fly away from all his troubles. Grow wings and become a peasant in a field. If only.

His Fathers voice still echoed in his ears, and he did his best to block them out before he broke down crying in the middle of the castle. Now that would be embarrassing.

Where was his room? Curse the immensity of this castle. He could have been there by now if he'd been running. God, he wanted to run. But he didn't dare. Among other things, a Prince didn't run (to his room crying) in the castle unless it was an absolute emergency. And this was not an emergency.

With a flood of relief he saw his bed chambers. Thankfully there were no guards posted outside, and no one in the hall. Arthur ran.

A few seconds later he burst in the room praying no one was inside. Mercifully, no one was, and he was able to sink to the floor in utter dejection without having to worry about the public eye. Glancing over at his mirror, he saw a shadow of himself. A tear stricken face with pathetic stature. He turned away. All of a sudden he heard something. Someone whistling. And they were coming into his chamber. He had seconds. Numerous curse words flew through Arthurs mind. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. The nearest place to hide was his bed. Desperately he lept for it and burrowed beneath the covers. He heard the person enter, and he curled up in a tighter ball in a futile hope that he would not be seen.

Merlin was only in Arthur's room to clean the floor. It had been a while sense he had, and his boots were beginning to stick. He whistled while he worked. It had been a good morning. He'd actually gotten enough sleep, woke up on time, ate his favorite breakfast, and the only chores he'd had to do today were the usual ones. Hence the time to clean the floor.

He started with the areas surrounding the door, moving toward the bed. Halfway through his work, something caught his eye. Hadn't he made the bed this morning? Standing up, he brushed himself off and moved toward the bed. As he got closer, he noticed something. There was a lump under the sheets. One of the servants? No. None of them would dare. A thief? Maybe, but they'd have done a better job hiding, and that was a shoddy hiding spot. Bracing himself, and magic at the ready, Merlin pulled back the sheets to reveal…Arthur.

"Hello Merlin."

"Arthur! You scared the hell out of me! Never do that again!"

"Ok."

"What were you even doing under there? Wasn't there a council meeting today?"

"There was. It ended."

Merlin studied Arthur's face as he talked. Arthur didn't look too good. He looked bleary eyed. Could he be sick? His eyes were puffy and- Oh my god. Arthur had been crying. Prince Arthur? Crying? The idea was foreign. But what was great enough to make _Prince Arthur_ cry? The city wasn't in that much chaos, he hadn't been hanging around any girls so his heart wasn't broken…. But what could it be? Suddenly it dawned on him. It was simple, really. Who was the only person who had control over Arthur? Who in the right mind would use that power to abuse? Uther. Now the biggest question. What was Merlin going to do about The Great Prince Arthur crying? An idea popped into his head, and he leaned in closer.

"Are you hiding?" He mock whispered.

"No, Merlin. I am merely… well as you can see…well I am just-"

"Hiding."

"Yes, well, hiding."

"Well, there are much better places to hide. I can show you." Merlin offered his hand.

Arthur hesitated at first, staring at his outstretched hand, and Merlin offered a secret prayer that Arthur would take it. Finally, he did, but with caution.

"There we go," Merlin said, and hoisted Arthur to his feet.

Merlin popped his head out the door to look for people. Seeing none he motioned to Arthur.

"C'mon," he whispered, "all clear."

Arthur was getting frustrated. All he wanted to do was curl up under the sheets, but noooo. He had to get dragged across the castle by his bumbling servant! To be fair they'd only been traveling for about five minutes now, but still.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Came the mysterious answer.

Arthur sighed and kept going.

They hadn't run into a single person so far. Arthur was vaguely surprised at this. They should have run into servants, nobleman, knights, and more by now. Granted they were ducking down into the servant's passage most of the time. In fact, Arthur didn't know most of these places existed, and he'd been living here longer that Merlin had. When they did see a person, they managed to find a close by hiding spot.

Soon they arrived at… Gaius'? Why were they here? He honestly though it was going to be more exciting than the physician's chambers.

"Merlin, all that sneaking around to get to Gaius'?

"No. This is just a stop."

Arthur saw Merlin grabbed a package from the table.

"What's that?"

"A thing. Now come on."

Again they sneaked through the castle, and again managing to miss every single person. Arthur became aware that they were going upward. What could possibly be up there?

Finally they reached the attic.

"Yay Merlin! We're here. The highest point of the castle. Nothing here but cobwebs and boxes of stuff. Now can I go back now?"

Merlin snickered, before going to the lowest part of the ceiling and slamming his fist in the corner.

Nothing happened.

"Okay Merlin. You've proven your point. Which I still can't figure out what your point is!"

Merlin rolled his eyes at Arthur before trying again.

Arthur opened his mouth to protest again, but quickly shut it when something swung down…..A trapdoor? Light poured in from the outside.

Merlin cocked his head to the side, smug.

"Oh, shut up," Arthur both adored that face, and loathed it.

Merlin then used the boxes below him, and crawled up, blinking in the bright sunlight. When after much panting and curses he was up, he threw a hand to Arthur.

Arthur stared at his offered hand.

"Is this safe?"

Merlin just grinned.

"Alright." Resigned, Arthur stood on the boxes and hoisted himself upward. When he'd finally reached the top, he gasped.

Merlin's grin grew bigger. Sure he'd been up here lots of times, but it was nothing compared to now. Seeing the look on Arthur's face….well.

"What? Never seen all of Camelot?"

"Never this high." His voice was awed. Merlin laughed at his awestruck expression.

"Here let's get somewhere safer. Wouldn't want the Crown Prince of Camelot falling to his death, now would we?"

Or crying, be silently added.

"This isn't safe?"

Merlin rolled his eyes, "We are standing on top of a castle who knows how many feet in the air with no guard rail. No, this isn't safe!"

Arthur grinned. He hadn't done something that wasn't safe in a long time. It was fantastic. Liberating, even. Suddenly he remembered something.

"Hey what's in the bag?"

"I'll show you, but first come over here. What would I say to your father if you fell to your death?"

Merlin inwardly winced. He hadn't meant to bring Uther up.

Luckily, Arthur seemed to pay no heed. He just rolled his eyes and stood up in an attempt to get were Merlin was.

"No! Don't stand up!"

"Why not?"

"You'll slip and fall! Here, you bear walk."

"Bearwalk?"

"You've never heard of bearwalking? You bend down on all fours, and 'walk' forward. Like a bear.

He demonstrated.

"You look like an idiot, Merlin."

"Yes, and you look like a prat."

Arthur rolled his eyes, and 'bearwalked' to Merlin.

It was even higher here. Arthur raised his arms. It was like flying. Wind in your hair. Sun warming your back. If he tried hard enough he could imagine he had white wings sprouting from his back.

Beside him, Merlin was unwrapping the parcel. Interested, Arthur opened his eyes.

"What is that?"

"Chocolate."

"Chocolate! Where did you get that!"

Even for Royalty, chocolate was a rarity and in short supply.

"When cook has a soft spot for you, great things happen."

Merlin broke it in half.

"Here."

Arthur just looked at it.

"Merlin. I'm not taking your chocolate."

"Yes, you are."

"No! It's your chocolate!"

"Yes! And I'm giving it to you!"

"And I'm not taking it!"

Merlin repositioned his arm.

"If you don't take it then I'll throw it off the rooftop."

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

Blue eyes met blue eyes. Both stubborn. Both unrelenting.

Arthur sighed.

"Fine."

Merlin smiled, his smug smile that Arthur so despised and loved.

Arthur tasted the chocolate, creamy and rich.

"Mmmm."

Beside him, Merlin was doing the same.

That little voice inside of Arthur was nagging him. He had chores to do. He shouldn't be wasting his time. But with the blue skies, wind in his hair, chocolate in on his tongue and his best friend beside him, Arthur couldn't bring himself to particularly care.

**Wow. Okay. That was way longer than I had originally planned. Again, suggestions are welcome! **

**Hey guys! I'm so happy you like my story! Can someone tell me how to leave an author's note in the comments? Might be a while till I write again, cause I honestly have no idea what the next chapter is going to be. I would love to hear some suggestions! Happy Thanksgiving!**

"How dare you. Did I raise you to be this stupid?" Uther's eves were hardened with hate.

Arthur shrank under them.

"I was just trying-"

"Silence. It is my time to speak." Uther's tone was menacing.

"Proposing the people should have the freedom to criticize the king? Have you lost your mind? And you just had to do it in a court meeting to. You have to think, Arthur! If the people have a voice they will rise against you."

He looked at Arthur.

"Why are you slouching?! Sit up and look like the Prince you are! Get out of my sight!" When Arthur didn't move fast enough, he snapped out,

"Now!"

The second he turned away from his father, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Ridiculous." He thought.

"A Prince doesn't cry."

He adopted a mask (as a Prince should) of indifference and walked to his room, nodding at some of the knights as he passed. If only he could fly right now. Fly away from all his troubles. Grow wings and become a peasant in a field. If only.

His Fathers voice still echoed in his ears, and he did his best to block them out before he broke down crying in the middle of the castle. Now that would be embarrassing.

Where was his room? Curse the immensity of this castle. He could have been there by now if he'd been running. God, he wanted to run. But he didn't dare. Among other things, a Prince didn't run (to his room crying) in the castle unless it was an absolute emergency. And this was not an emergency.

With a flood of relief he saw his bed chambers. Thankfully there were no guards posted outside, and no one in the hall. Arthur ran.

A few seconds later he burst in the room praying no one was inside. Mercifully, no one was, and he was able to sink to the floor in utter dejection without having to worry about the public eye. Glancing over at his mirror, he saw a shadow of himself. A tear stricken face with pathetic stature. He turned away. All of a sudden he heard something. Someone whistling. And they were coming into his chamber. He had seconds. Numerous curse words flew through Arthurs mind. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. The nearest place to hide was his bed. Desperately he lept for it and burrowed beneath the covers. He heard the person enter, and he curled up in a tighter ball in a futile hope that he would not be seen.

Merlin was only in Arthur's room to clean the floor. It had been a while sense he had, and his boots were beginning to stick. He whistled while he worked. It had been a good morning. He'd actually gotten enough sleep, woke up on time, ate his favorite breakfast, and the only chores he'd had to do today were the usual ones. Hence the time to clean the floor.

He started with the areas surrounding the door, moving toward the bed. Halfway through his work, something caught his eye. Hadn't he made the bed this morning? Standing up, he brushed himself off and moved toward the bed. As he got closer, he noticed something. There was a lump under the sheets. One of the servants? No. None of them would dare. A thief? Maybe, but they'd have done a better job hiding, and that was a shoddy hiding spot. Bracing himself, and magic at the ready, Merlin pulled back the sheets to reveal…Arthur.

"Hello Merlin."

"Arthur! You scared the hell out of me! Never do that again!"

"Ok."

"What were you even doing under there? Wasn't there a council meeting today?"

"There was. It ended."

Merlin studied Arthur's face as he talked. Arthur didn't look too good. He looked bleary eyed. Could he be sick? His eyes were puffy and- Oh my god. Arthur had been crying. Prince Arthur? Crying? The idea was foreign. But what was great enough to make _Prince Arthur_ cry? The city wasn't in that much chaos, he hadn't been hanging around any girls so his heart wasn't broken…. But what could it be? Suddenly it dawned on him. It was simple, really. Who was the only person who had control over Arthur? Who in the right mind would use that power to abuse? Uther. Now the biggest question. What was Merlin going to do about The Great Prince Arthur crying? An idea popped into his head, and he leaned in closer.

"Are you hiding?" He mock whispered.

"No, Merlin. I am merely… well as you can see…well I am just-"

"Hiding."

"Yes, well, hiding."

"Well, there are much better places to hide. I can show you." Merlin offered his hand.

Arthur hesitated at first, staring at his outstretched hand, and Merlin offered a secret prayer that Arthur would take it. Finally, he did, but with caution.

"There we go," Merlin said, and hoisted Arthur to his feet.

Merlin popped his head out the door to look for people. Seeing none he motioned to Arthur.

"C'mon," he whispered, "all clear."

Arthur was getting frustrated. All he wanted to do was curl up under the sheets, but noooo. He had to get dragged across the castle by his bumbling servant! To be fair they'd only been traveling for about five minutes now, but still.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Came the mysterious answer.

Arthur sighed and kept going.

They hadn't run into a single person so far. Arthur was vaguely surprised at this. They should have run into servants, nobleman, knights, and more by now. Granted they were ducking down into the servant's passage most of the time. In fact, Arthur didn't know most of these places existed, and he'd been living here longer that Merlin had. When they did see a person, they managed to find a close by hiding spot.

Soon they arrived at… Gaius'? Why were they here? He honestly though it was going to be more exciting than the physician's chambers.

"Merlin, all that sneaking around to get to Gaius'?

"No. This is just a stop."

Arthur saw Merlin grabbed a package from the table.

"What's that?"

"A thing. Now come on."

Again they sneaked through the castle, and again managing to miss every single person. Arthur became aware that they were going upward. What could possibly be up there?

Finally they reached the attic.

"Yay Merlin! We're here. The highest point of the castle. Nothing here but cobwebs and boxes of stuff. Now can I go back now?"

Merlin snickered, before going to the lowest part of the ceiling and slamming his fist in the corner.

Nothing happened.

"Okay Merlin. You've proven your point. Which I still can't figure out what your point is!"

Merlin rolled his eyes at Arthur before trying again.

Arthur opened his mouth to protest again, but quickly shut it when something swung down…..A trapdoor? Light poured in from the outside.

Merlin cocked his head to the side, smug.

"Oh, shut up," Arthur both adored that face, and loathed it.

Merlin then used the boxes below him, and crawled up, blinking in the bright sunlight. When after much panting and curses he was up, he threw a hand to Arthur.

Arthur stared at his offered hand.

"Is this safe?"

Merlin just grinned.

"Alright." Resigned, Arthur stood on the boxes and hoisted himself upward. When he'd finally reached the top, he gasped.

Merlin's grin grew bigger. Sure he'd been up here lots of times, but it was nothing compared to now. Seeing the look on Arthur's face….well.

"What? Never seen all of Camelot?"

"Never this high." His voice was awed. Merlin laughed at his awestruck expression.

"Here let's get somewhere safer. Wouldn't want the Crown Prince of Camelot falling to his death, now would we?"

Or crying, be silently added.

"This isn't safe?"

Merlin rolled his eyes, "We are standing on top of a castle who knows how many feet in the air with no guard rail. No, this isn't safe!"

Arthur grinned. He hadn't done something that wasn't safe in a long time. It was fantastic. Liberating, even. Suddenly he remembered something.

"Hey what's in the bag?"

"I'll show you, but first come over here. What would I say to your father if you fell to your death?"

Merlin inwardly winced. He hadn't meant to bring Uther up.

Luckily, Arthur seemed to pay no heed. He just rolled his eyes and stood up in an attempt to get were Merlin was.

"No! Don't stand up!"

"Why not?"

"You'll slip and fall! Here, you bear walk."

"Bearwalk?"

"You've never heard of bearwalking? You bend down on all fours, and 'walk' forward. Like a bear.

He demonstrated.

"You look like an idiot, Merlin."

"Yes, and you look like a prat."

Arthur rolled his eyes, and 'bearwalked' to Merlin.

It was even higher here. Arthur raised his arms. It was like flying. Wind in your hair. Sun warming your back. If he tried hard enough he could imagine he had white wings sprouting from his back.

Beside him, Merlin was unwrapping the parcel. Interested, Arthur opened his eyes.

"What is that?"

"Chocolate."

"Chocolate! Where did you get that!"

Even for Royalty, chocolate was a rarity and in short supply.

"When cook has a soft spot for you, great things happen."

Merlin broke it in half.

"Here."

Arthur just looked at it.

"Merlin. I'm not taking your chocolate."

"Yes, you are."

"No! It's your chocolate!"

"Yes! And I'm giving it to you!"

"And I'm not taking it!"

Merlin repositioned his arm.

"If you don't take it then I'll throw it off the rooftop."

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

Blue eyes met blue eyes. Both stubborn. Both unrelenting.

Arthur sighed.

"Fine."

Merlin smiled, his smug smile that Arthur so despised and loved.

Arthur tasted the chocolate, creamy and rich.

"Mmmm."

Beside him, Merlin was doing the same.

That little voice inside of Arthur was nagging him. He had chores to do. He shouldn't be wasting his time. But with the blue skies, wind in his hair, chocolate in on his tongue and his best friend beside him, Arthur couldn't bring himself to particularly care.

**Wow. Okay. That was way longer than I had originally planned. Again, suggestions are welcome! **


	3. Lord Jeffery

**Hey guys! So sorry this took so long, I tore my ACL and my life has been a complete and utter train wreck. Thank you so much for the positive reviews! Whenever I read them I have to bury my head in my hands and jump around for a few minutes until I can read the next one! Apparently I'm supposed to put a disclaimer so…. I do not own Merlin. Do we really have to say this? Anyway…. **

Most everyone knew about Lord Jeffrey. He was a power hungry, sex-crazed man who had inherited a huge amount of money through a sudden death. He spent his days drinking fine wine and exploiting servants. Arthur couldn't think of anyone he'd least want to invite into the castle. Yet unfortunately, Uther's birthday was no ordinary occasion, and called for extravagant parties. And as everyone knew, a proper feast (at least according to Uther) included everyone (as long as they were noble) in the land. Hence the arrival of Lord Jeffrey. Arthur had been standing here all day greeting noble after noble. Most he vaguely knew, and if he didn't know their names, Merlin was off to the side to whisper it to him. Of course, Merlin was reading off of a sheet as it was his first time seeing all these people.

And Lord Jeffery had arrived. Arthur had hated him since he'd first met him. Lord Jeffery was the type of person who would grovel at your feet if it would get him places, and then stab you in the back just for fun. Okay, well maybe not that extreme, but all the same, Arthur hated him. He'd heard what Lord Jeffery did to the servants, of anyone of lower standing. Well, anyone who he could get his hands on that would keep silent. Arthur didn't even discover the truth by a victim; he'd overheard it as he was taking a shortcut through the kitchens one day. Yet Arthur had no means of stopping Lord Jeffery. He'd tried confronting his father about it, but per usual, Uther ignored him. He'd even tried getting one of the servants to confess and stand up, but they just kept denying anything had happened. Lord Jeffery might have the title above his head but he was the lowest grade of scum you could find.

Of course, Arthur kept all these thoughts to himself and managed to keep a flat face as Lord Jeffrey walked up to the entrance, numerous servants following closely behind. He had almost a ridiculous amount of servants with him. Two on each side, three following behind him, and uncountable were unloading the carriage. The amount of luggage was staggering. Arthur didn't ever own that much. The servants in themselves looked haggard and worn; many seemed skittish and deeply frightened.

Lord Jeffrey swept a low bow: "Sire. It is especially good to see you on this admirable morning! Pray tell, how is your father? Not still moping over his lost wife is he?"

Arthur gritted his teeth and chose to ignore the last question: "My father is doing well, thank you. I hope your journey was pleasant."

"It was indeed, my fine Prince."

"Then I am glad. Do you need a servant to show you to your chambers?"

"Yes, that would be very courteous of you."

Arthur nodded to the young maid standing beside the door: "She will lead you there."

Once they were out of earshot Merlin turned to him.

"You didn't like him, did you?"

"No. Lord Jeffery is different. He… well. I've heard some things about him. Speaking of… Sir Andrew, would you follow Lord Jeffery and make sure that maid gets safely back?"

"Yes, of course Sire."

"Lord Jeffery is back."

That was the gossip that had been going around the kitchen for the day and reaction went from cringing to full on panic attacks. Some of the nobles might have heard of Lord Jeffery, but only the servant really knew what went on. Those who had survived the night, refused to talk of their 'experience', and none came out mentally intact. Prince Arthur had even tried to get some of the servants to talk, but none would even so much as admit that they had been violated. Anyway, what was the word of a servant compared to the word of a Lord?

Cook had comforted many crying girls and boys. Tomas was only fourteen. He'd had to move away from the castle. Lucy had been at the bright young age of seventeen, but light no longer shone in her eyes and she cringed near men. Cook had done her best to fix up the ones that came to her, but…. She could only help them physically and give them a shoulder to cry on. The boys wouldn't even come to her. The victims that did come to her begged her not to tell, and although it was in her every bone to reveal what was happening she knew that if they did not stand up, then she had no case against the Lord.

Many of the servants were congregating in the kitchen. Cook didn't have a heart to throw them out, and she wanted to make sure the new ones knew about Lord Jeffery.

"Charlotte, you're new." John was speaking first. "What do you know of Lord Jeffery?"

"I had to walk him to his chambers. He looked at me like I was a slab of meat. I though he was going to devour me, but a knight arrived in time."

"You're lucky a knight arrived in time. He… well he….."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

Cook sighed. Couldn't these idiots just tell the poor girl? She put her hands on her hips and turned around: "Lord Jeffery takes advantage of servants. He will trick them into a dark room and exploit them. Girls, boys, none are safe. I'd suggest you do much more than stay away from him."

Cook went back to stirring the soup and successfully tuned the rest of the conversation out, only hearing the last parts;

"Where's Merlin gone? He's relatively new. We should make sure he knows."

"If anyone sees him make sure to tell him."

No one did.

It was eleven o'clock at night the same day and the feast still showed no signs of stopping. Merlin's feet were getting sore, and he had run out of jokes to tell. Feasts didn't usually last this long, and he briefly wondered how much longer he would have to stand here. The minutes ticked by slower and slower and he fought a yawn. All of a sudden, he felt a prickling at the back of his spine, an unnerving feeling that Merlin had only known when someone had been watching him.

Abruptly he was wide awake. Who could it be? Looking around he tried to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. He had no idea. No one was behind any hidden corners; no other servants were near him, but then… There. One of the Lords. Lord Jeffery. Merlin wouldn't have remembered the name or face if it hadn't been the immediate straightening of Arthur's spine as he had laid eyes on man.

What had he said? That "Lord Jeffery was different and….." something else. Merlin didn't know why he felt uneasy. Arthur hadn't exactly said that Lord Jeffery liked to kill animals and eat them bloody; he had just said that he was different. Of course, 'different' was Arthur's safe word. When he couldn't think of anything nice to say he reverted back to the words 'different' or 'interesting'. Still Merlin could not think why he felt like running away. It was only a fleeting glace. Maybe Jeffery had mistaken him for someone he knew. Merlin settled for that.

It was two o' clock in the morning when the feast ended, and Merlin was dismissed soon after that. Arthur must have noticed that he'd almost fallen asleep on the job; normally he'd have to help clean up. But luckily for him, others who hadn't stood all night took up the job. Merlin was walking to his room, not walking particularly fast, per se, mostly just trudging along hopefully in the right direction. God! He was so tired.

Lord Jeffery had had his eye on this one all night. Prince Arthur had him all to himself? Not anymore. If he had heard correctly, Uther didn't like this particular manservant, and Arthur himself, well, he made him stand all night! Obviously if Prince Arthur cared at all he wouldn't have made his manservant stand even thought it was obvious that he was about to tip over from exhaustion. (Thought that was in fact a manservant's job, and Lord Jeffery had made his slave stand for much longer than that) Even without that information, Lord Jeffery knew Prince Arthur's type. He was a smug, stuck up kind of person who thought he was above everyone and couldn't make a manservant stay for more than a month. That was why this boy was the perfect target. Uther didn't like him, Arthur didn't care; if the boy tried to assert his opinion, no one would listen. He crept behind him like a shadow until there were no more people around. No one to hear him scream. Of course he would be screaming later on in the night, when no one was around to hear it but himself. But, for now, he needed the boy silent. He felt the bump of a sleeping draught in his robe and smiled. He crept closer.

Later on, Merlin would blame it on his tiredness. He never felt, saw, or heard anyone behind him. It was only when he assaulted in the almost pitch blackness when he realized how dire the situation was. Rough hands grabbed him and shoved him against the wall. Merlin's head cracked against the stone wall. His vision instantly went blurry. Somewhere, deep inside his brain, he knew he should be fighting. But he had no idea what was going on. Except his magic was roaring, sparking at his fingertips. Merlin thought about using it, but what if it was one of the trusted knights? What if... Merlin heard the uncorking of a bottle. A sleeping potion. Or worse. The noise brought Merlin out of his daze. It was time to fight. His magic roared at his fingertips and he was about to slam the man away from his body…but the man was faster. He had shoved the potion deep into Merlin's throat. Merlin choked, all thoughts toward the spell forgotten. The effects were almost instantaneous. Merlin's whole body relaxed, and his mind, although still fuzzy was screaming the word 'no No NO'. But he couldn't move. His mind was sedated, and his magic seemed to have gone into shock. He felt the man pick him up, as if he were a rag doll. In a last ditch effort, he shoved his deadened magic toward the man. To no avail. The tendrils of magic just fled everywhere, not to their intended target. It was more of a distress call. That gave his lethargic mind an idea. A distress call. He could do that…. Maybe. Hopefully. Dear god, it would have to work. He concentrated, aware of the potion that was running through his veins.

_Arthur. Arthur. I need your help._

Nothing. Merlin concentrated harder.

_Arthur._

Merlin gritted his teeth. (or tried to) He put all his magic and mind into it. If this didn't work, it would be his last chance. The potion was taking more effect.

_ARTHUR!_

Nothing happened.

Merlin's magic was gone. His eyes were getting heavier. They had almost reached their destination. And nobody appeared. He could smell the alcohol on the man's breath. And no one was in sight. No one.

Arthur was saying goodbye to the last guests when he heard it. Or rather felt it. Something. A cry for help? A trap? But a little voice in his head said that he should go for it. He abruptly cut of his last guest with a "Yes, very interesting. Now if you'll excuse me, I must leave. So sorry." He felt a little bad for that but…. There was desperation in the air. It was only a few minutes later when was halfway across the castle when he realized what he had done. He had cut off one of the nobles to follow an instinct! Arthur didn't even know where he was going! None the less he kept running. It might have been important. _Or a trap. _The voice of reason inside his head was probably right. But he just had to see.

He had just reached the north wing when he heard it. A muffled grunting. Heavy footsteps. Automatically Arthur knew he had come to the right place. He slowed to a walk. Peering around the corner he saw…. A shadow. It too dark to see. He crept closer and caught the man's face. Lord Jeffery. Of course. Arthur should have gotten a knight to make sure he had gotten to his chambers with no offending behavior. But who was he carrying? All he could see in the dim light was a limp figure. Strangely familiar.

Arthur pulled out his sword. He had one of two choices. He could charge directly, or bide his time. Every cell of his body was screaming to charge and slice Jeffery to pieces, but if he did, he would have no evidence against him. He could grab a knight, but he didn't want to leave. Couldn't leave. He couldn't fail the person he was holding. Arthur began to creep forward. There was still no one is sight. Jeffery passed a torch, and Arthur instantly recognized the person in his arms.

It was Merlin.

Arthur felt every pore in his body fill with complete and utter rage. How dare he? How dare that _slime_ steal _his _manservant? Arthur stepped out of the shadows and raised his sword.

"Stop." He struggled to keep his voice steady.

Jeffery spun around. Surprise and resentment flashed across his face before settling for a look of cheerfulness.

"Hello Sire!"

"What are you doing with him?"

"Ah, well, as you can see I'm carrying him."  
"Why? What business do you have with my manservant?"

"Well, I was walking to my chambers, and I saw him on the ground, asleep. I had thought to carry him back to the servant's chambers, but alas, you are stopping me." It was a weak lie, but desperate times call for desperate measures. He grinned attempting to release the tension in the room, but mostly just looking like he was barring his teeth.

Arthur knew full well what Jeffery was doing. Yet he kept playing the game; there was no other alternative.

"Your room is right around the bend and the servant's chambers are in the other end of the castle.

Jeffery formed a look of innocence: "Are they? I must have been mistaken. It has been six months since I have visited."

"Yes it has. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll take Merlin."

"Is that his name?"

"Yes."

"Well then. Here you go!"

Jeffery shifted Merlin's weight into Arthur's arm.

"Good night!" Jeffery turned away and walked to his room.

Arthur shifted Merlin's weight into his arms. When he was walking back, he came across a knight who leaving for his night shift. _"Oh I see how it is, now backup shows up."_

"Sir Andrew? You are dismissed from your usual shift. You will be watching Lord Jeffery to make sure he does not awake and take part in unfavorable actions."

"Yes Sire."

Arthur carried Merlin back to his chamber and laid him on his bed. On his way out he passed a sleeping Gaius. Arthur regretted waking him, but he had to know.

"Gaius?"

The physician gave a snort and woke.

"Arthur? What are you doing at this ungodly hour of the morning?"

"It's Merlin."

"What about him?"

"What do you know about Lord Jeffery?"  
"Nothing? What of him?"

"He exploits servants. And he.. well… Merlin caught his eye. I caught him carrying Merlin to his chambers."

Gaius took this in. His first emotions were rage, fury, and finally confusion. Merlin had his magic, how could someone assault him? His question was answered by Arthur's next statement.

"I suppose Jeffery used a sleeping potion; he never woke up."

Ah that would explain it. Some of the more powerful sleeping potions blocked out magic.

"I will watch him. What will you do about Lord Jeffery?"

"I don't know yet. I'd prefer to have him killed, but first I'll need evidence against him."

Gaius nodded: "I understand. Get some sleep. A solution will come in the morning."

Arthur looked like he wanted to argue, but stopped himself with the realization of how _tired_ he was. Suddenly he knew the best place to be was in his bed. Sleep would come easier with the realization that Merlin was safe.

The next morning, Arthur was not woken by Merlin. With a growing sense of anxiety he dressed himself and walked to Gaius'.

When he arrived, he was surprised to actually see Merlin awake and grinding herbs. Gaius was with him.

"Gaius won't let me leave." Merlin voiced upon Arthur entry.

"Good for him. What do you remember last night?"

"I was tired and didn't see Lord Jeffery coming. He assaulted me and gave me a sleeping potion. Then I woke up in the pitch black and freaked out. Gaius heard me and explained everything. Is that really what you meant by 'different'?"

Arthur winced: "Yes, I guess I should have told you."

"What are you going to do?"

"As soon as possible, I'm going to talk to my father."

"What will he do?"

"I'm not sure. Hopefully strip Jeffery of his title and land. I'd rather him killed. Anyway, glad you're alright. Gaius, keep watching him. I'll be back later. Goodbye!"

Arthur walked out of the room without waiting for a response. Truly and honestly, this whole thing made him angry, frustrated, and sick. Normally he could block these emotions out and think rationally. But not this time. He walked straight to his father's chamber.

"Hello Father."

"Ah! Arthur. What are you doing here?"

"My manservant was assaulted and almost violated last night."

Uther glanced at him: "By who?"

"Lord Jeffery."

Uther looked away: "Did you see it happening?"

Arthur hesitated. This could go one of two ways. He could tell the truth, but he knew how that went. It was Lord Jeffery's word against Merlin's. Uther might actually believe that Lord Jeffery was taking Merlin to the servant's chambers. But there was another option…. Arthur could lie. Then it would be his word against Lord Jeffery's. Prince triumphs Lord. He made his decision.

"Yes, I saw it happening. Lord Jeffery slammed Merlin to the wall and forced him to swallow a sleeping potion. Then he picked him up and took him to his bedroom. I arrived in time, and was able to save him. I dropped him off at Gaius'. I wanted to tell you but you were already asleep and I didn't want to wake you.

"I appreciate that. As for Lord Jeffery. What do you suppose is the best punishment for him?"

Arthur knew this was a test. "I will have to collect all the data. I will speak to Merlin and get his opinion on it. Then I will speak to the rest of the servants and see if he has harmed anyone else."

Uther clicked his tongue: "Very good. Come back to me when you have decided."

Arthur had been asking around for the past day. The amount of evidence he had acquired was shocking. At first everyone denied everything, but with the help of Merlin, he'd gotten one person to confess. After that, people began stepping forward, then more and more and more. At least fifteen servants had been scarred for life by that abomination. And that wasn't including the ones who had run away in fear. After a day of questioning, Arthur finally built a case against Jeffery. When he brought it to Uther, his father immediately called the council into a meeting. Lord Jeffery was called, as were many of the servants who had courage enough to stand. Lord Jeffery, of course, denied everything. But servants after servant stood up against him. Lord Jeffery didn't even know their names. The court decided him guilty, removed his title, and stripped him of his lands. Uther had let Arthur give the final sentence. At this, Arthur hesitated. He had wanted to see Lord Jeffery dead, but he didn't know if he was that cruel. Instead, he sent Jeffery off the Cenred's kingdom to feed the horses. He would be closely watched by the stable hands.

The next morning, Arthur was awakened by the same "Rise and shine!" welcoming that he was used to. He groaned and flipped over, smiling at the raven-haired doofus who was opening the drapes. It was going to be a good morning.

**Okay, yes I admit, that ending was extremely rushed, but this was going on two weeks of editing and writing and I just wanted to finish it. Again, suggestions are welcome! (And when I say that I'm begging you to give be some)**


	4. Presents

**Merry Christmas to you all! This was supposed to be posted yesterday because it's about Merlin and Arthur buying each other presents on Christmas Eve. **

**The Doctor Who Christmas special came on today and I (being slightly obsessed with Doctor Who) put the Doctor into part of this fic. (Sorry if you're not a whovian)**

**Did anyone see the Sherlock miniepisode? I couldn't stop squealing! "Don't be dead." "Okay." AHHHHH ( Sorry if you're not a sherlockian) **

**I do not own Merlin.**

Merlin sighed as he walked out of the last shop. It was Christmas Eve and he still had no idea what to buy Arthur. He had already gotten presents for everyone else. Gwen would love the necklace, Gaius would enjoy testing the new herbs, Charlotte would adore the book, Cook would appreciate the spices..ect ect….. But Arthur? Arthur could buy whatever he wanted, the spoiled prat. Merlin had already been to several shops. Even if he could have afforded anything in them, Arthur wouldn't want or need it. Of course, Merlin could just buy Arthur anything…or nothing at all. But it was their first Christmas together, and Merlin wanted... well he wanted something to remember it buy. Something special.

But he was having no luck. Every shop had something beautiful, but why would Arthur want a pendent when he could buy the whole jewelry shop?

Suddenly something caught Merlin's eye. He hadn't seen that tent there before. Frowning, he moved closer.

Up close, the shop wasn't all that eye-catching. A shabby, run-down tent with faded cloth. But there was something about it… Merlin took a step inside. And gasped. It seemed so much smaller on the outside! There were toys everywhere. But they seemed much more than toys. Mobiles rotated overhead, gears turned on moving wooden insects, shelves were overloaded with soft-looking dolls, and in the back there seemed to be a strange blue rectangular box-thing.

Merlin walked farther in, face gaping in awe. There were clocks, soldiers, palaces, horses, anything you could name! The pink light of the setting sun only made it more magical. There were beautiful creations carved from wood and born from metal. Things sparkled and ticked, shined with gold and silver; nothing ever seemed still. Wonders filled every inch of this place. There were glass cabinets full of glass figurines in the finest detail! It was almost too much to take in. Merlin didn't dare move. If he moved, he might break something. Instead, he stayed rooted to the ground, absently staring around him

Near the end of the shop, a man was crouching in the middle of a crowd of young children. The man himself was strange. Odd looking clothes with an oddlier shaped chin. And a bizarre looking frill underneath his chin. He was speaking in low tones to the children who surrounded him. When he spotted Merlin, he leaned forward to his crowd: "Now children. Run along home and take a cookie on your way out. I've a customer."

Shrieking and with shining eyes, they did as they were told. Then, the man stood up, clapping his hands and moving behind the counter. "Now, my boy, how might I help you today?"

"A Christmas present…" Merlin mumbled the answer, too amazed to actually comprehend what was going on.

"Ah… yes. That is what you would be shopping for. And luckily for you, Merlin, I have the perfect thing for your Prince."

At the sound of his name, Merlin snapped out of it.

"How do you know my name?"

"I know a little bit about a lot of things," came the vague irritating answer. Merlin tried again.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Just a stranger. Passing through. Or you could call me the Doctor. Or maybe Saint Nick. Yes, Saint Nick will do just fine."

Merlin had about a million questions running through his head. Who was this person? Did he have magic? His thoughts were interrupted by the strange man.

"So about this present, we want something that Arthur can wear maybe? Something you can enchant to protect him. Something that won't look like magic. Hmmm…. Difficult. But not impossible. In fact, if you give me a mo, then I should be able to whip something up."

Merlin's head was spinning. This man knew he had magic. Of course, this man had a magic of his own, but it wasn't like any other magic Merlin had ever sensed before. This was a mysterious magic. A kind of magic that was not only engrained in the earth, like Merlin's, but in the universe. A kind of unusable magic. Merlin didn't know what to think. He was on sensory overload. He was about to ask another question but was interrupted when a girl stuck her head out of the blue box thing that had been lurking in the back. Merlin gave a start.

The girl looked at him with intelligent brown eyes.

"Doctor, who's he?"

"A customer, Clara, A customer!"

The girl known as Clara stepped out. Merlin could feel his face turn red, and he looked away.

St. Nick noticed Merlin's discomfort.

"What…..? Oh, Clara. We're in the 1300's. I believe your scaring the customer with your 3200's clothing."

Clara looked at herself. "Quite right! I'll be right back!" She re-entered the blue box thing.

Merlin shook his head. At this point, he should have been running. This strange man knew of his magic, his name, and kept a girl in a box. And yet… for no apparent reason… he smiled. He must be going mad!

The man was still tinkering with some metal and waved Merlin over.

"Ah. It is finished. Nice piece of work if I do say so myself." He held it up for Merlin to see. Merlin gasped. It was beautiful.

It was a miniature crest of Camelot. It was made with perfect craftsmanship. A polished silver shield was shining with a golden dragon standing proudly in the middle. If Merlin looked hard enough, he could have sworn it winked at him through a sapphire eye. Realizing the stone was indeed sapphire, Merlin's heart sank. There was no way he could afford this.

"How much does this cost?"

The man looked up, scrunching his face together as if Merlin was asking a strange question.

"Nothing. It is free."

"Free!" Merlin sputtered.

All of a sudden the girl jumped out of the blue box.

"Doctor! Something's happening! The TARDIS!"

Jumping up, the man ran to the blue box and stuck his head inside.

Merlin walked over: "What's wrong?"

The man turned around, "Just a little problem with the interior core, nothing serious, but I do have to leave. It was nice to meet you Merlin. I know Arthur will love the gift!"

While he was speaking he was leading Merlin out the door. He was surprisingly forceful. Merlin was about to dig his heels in the ground and ask "what the hell was going on" but the man was basically carrying him to the door.

Before he knew it, he was standing outside. He paused for a moment. What had just happened? Had it been a dream? But no. he still had the crest of Camelot in his hand. Then he heard something. A whooshing noise, coming from the tent. He turned heal and walked back in. And stopped short. Everything was gone. All the beautiful toys and magic delights. Everything. All that was left was the fading impression of the blue box.

Arthur kicked the ground. Christmas Eve and he had no idea what to buy Merlin. He'd given Merlin the evening off so Arthur could look around Camelot for a suitable present with him knowing. He was disguised as a peasant (much easier that way). But even with money, Arthur didn't know what to buy. A dagger wouldn't work; Merlin didn't fight. Arthur could buy Merlin another scarf, but that would be a bit cheap.

He spotted a bookstore up ahead, the only one in Camelot. Yes, a book would be a good present. Sure, it could be a lot better but he was desperate.

Walking in, Arthur took a deep breath. It smelt of books and dust; a wonderful combination. He had never visited this store before; he had always used the castle library. But the castle library only held old records and books on the history of Camelot. But not this store. Stories lined the shelves, and the shelves themselves lined the wall from the floor to the ceiling. A small man with a beard was heavily engrossed in a book. When he heard the chime of the bell as Arthur walked in, he looked up: "May I help you?"

Arthur looked up. "Umm… yes. I'm looking for a book." He winced at how stupid that sounded, of course he was looking for a book! "for a friend."

The bookkeeper frowned. "What type of book? Adventure? History? Tragedy? We have it all!"

"Umm.. well. Do you have anything…." Arthur stopped. What did Merlin like to read? "Do you have anything… I don't know. Special?"

The bookkeeper smiled. "Look around you. You are in a book store. Everything surrounding you is special!"

Arthur blushed. This was not going as planned. "Okay but do you have anything colorful, maybe just a really nice book."

The man tapped the side of his nose, and a mysterious look came into his eye. "Yes, Yes I do have something. But it is expensive. No one has been able to afford it."

Arthur nodded eagerly. That sounded perfect. "Show me."

The bookkeeper reached under the countertop and pulled out a truly massive book. He motioned Arthur over. "Come here. Have a look see."

Arthur walked over to the open book. And inhaled sharply. It was stunning. Page after page of intricately detailed animals. Griffons, Bonnacons, Amphisbaenas, Basilisks, all in color. You could see each animal rising from the pages. Many Arthur had never seen or heard of before in his life.

"How much is it?"

"Seven pounds."

"Seven pounds?!"

"I told you it would be expensive. And look at it. Do you think that the money is not worth it."

Arthur sighed, flipping through the brightly colored pages. Yes. It was worth it. He ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't have enough money. Of course he hadn't expected to be useing that much money on a present for that dollophead. He only brought four pounds with him. Where could he get the extra three? The answer was simple, Arthur knew. He had to go to his father.

Arthur closed the book. "I have the money. But it will take me a few hours to get it."

"Quite right. Take your time. I have never thought someone with the right soul could actually have the money to spend on this book."

"Thank you. I'll be back." With that he raced out of the shop.

Arthur found his father doing paperwork in his chambers.

Hesitantly (but with (false) confidence) he asked, "Father I need to borrow some money."

Uther raised his head, "Why? Arthur, you get an allowance. The deal we made was that when you got an allowance, you would stop asking me for money."

"Yes. You are correct, however my Christmas list went a little over the money I had."

"Have you not learned to money manage?"

Arthur inwardly sighed. He was getting nowhere. Time to lie. "Yes, of course. However I was at the market and I saw the perfect gift for Morgana. It was not planned, but I knew she would love it."

"Well, you did say 'borrow' so I trust you will pay me back."

"Of course father."

"Then my manservant will give you the money."

"Thank you father."

An hour later, Arthur held the bestiary in his arms.

He couldn't wait to see Merlin's face.

**This chapter was utterly fluff, but I figured the Merlin fandom needed it. So I'm in the middle of writing your suggestion battlemaiden518. (Oh by the way your fic ****_It's all a Matter of Leverage _****is really good.)**


	5. A Plan Gone Right

**Prompt: Arthur knows about Merlin's magic and worries about Uther finding out**

**Note: I did not try to write how Arthur found out, he just does and Merlin and him have already worked it out.**

**So with this one I ****_could_**** have Uther figure out Merlin has magic and Arthur has to protect him, or something like that, but I wasn't really feeling it. Maybe I'll do one like that later. Here's kind of a happy one? **

It happened every year. Uther would get some reminder of his late wife and decide to crack down on sorcerers 'once and for all'. There would be interviews, house searches, and spies everywhere. No one was safe. Of course these precautions were draining and after a few weeks, Uther would forget about it and things would go back to normal. But until then, Arthur's shoulders would remain permanently tensed. Especially now because Merlin had showed him that magic was not evil, it was the people that used it.

t was even worse for Arthur because Uther put him in charge of the preparations. Unfortunately not all of them. Uther was always around enough to void Arthur's attempts of keeping people from the pyre. Had it been up to Arthur, magic wouldn't even be outlawed. These weeks caused Arthur various amounts of guilt. It hurt him to see soldiers that were under _his _command search innocent people's houses, destroying precious things and upsetting the owners. And all of this when there were just whispers of rumors, if that. Of course, he tried to tell his soldiers to be gentle while searching, but again Arthur was overridden by his father.

This started a few days ago when Uther announced it in a council meeting.

"Due to Camelot's rising population," (really that was his excuse?) "There will be more security checks regarding sorcerers. My son, Arthur will be in charge of these proceedings. There will be more security at the front gate, more spies lingering in the midst of the crowds, and anyone who is even slightly suspicious will have their house searched by our soldiers."

The first thing Arthur did after being released from the meeting was run directly to Merlin. He had to know. Fortunately, Gaius had already told Merlin, and he had assured him that Merlin was on high alert. Mind at ease, Arthur set forth the least amount of preparations he could get away with. That assurance should _not_ have been put his mind at ease; this was Merlin they were talking about.

A week later, Arthur walked in on Merlin polishing his boots. With magic. As soon as he took a step through the door and Merlin realized someone was there, the boots clattered to the floor. Merlin looked up, panic then guilt passed through his face. Arthur groaned.

"Merlin! Magic! Are you insane? I thought you were supposed to be on 'high alert' or whatever that meant to you!" He reached over and clutched his forearm. An array of emotions flooded him, the most dominant being anger. He hissed out, "What if I was my father that just walked in now? What would happen?"

Merlin stared at him, "Arthur, Arthur! Calm down!"

"I will not calm down! How can I calm down when you're blatantly doing magic for the world to see! And at a time like this?! How can you be so obvious! If I was my father right now, they'd already be readying the pyre! And if I'll be damned if I have to stand by and watch you burn! I. Cannot. Watch. That. Happen."

Merlin yanked his arm from Arthur's grip. "Arthur. Calm down."

Arthur took a deep breath.

Merlin sighed. "Okay. I know I should be more careful with my magic-"

Arthur gave a snort.

"But…. Do you have any idea how long it takes to clean your boots?"

Arthur eyed him, trying to ignore the humorous smile on his lips.

"Merlin, you idiot! This is serious."

"Oh really? Serious? What is serious about being burned at the pyre? Death, flames, rope, beheading. That's all a piece of pie for me. Everyday stuff." Merlin struggled to keep his tone light. Apparently he succeeded, because Arthur cracked a half-smile.

"Just be careful, you idiot."

"Prat."

"Clotpole."

"Hey! That's my word….."

* * *

So far, Arthur had kept Camelot's soldiers from finding anyone guilty but it was only a matter of time until he slipped. That day dawned hot and bright the next day. A man was dragged in to the throne room in chains. Uther rose. "What is the meaning of this?"

The soldier spoke. "This man was found guilty of magic."

"Under what grounds?"

"Our spies had heard whispers of magic that were related to this man. When we went to search his house we found this."

The soldier uncovered a gold poultice that was glowing brightly.

"What is your name?"

"Issac."

"Were you using magic?"

Issac lowered his head. "Please. Forgive me sire. I have a wife and two daughters. My daughter was sick and about to die. I had to do something!"

Arthur could feel guilt and sadness weighing him down. It didn't matter that this man was innocent. He would burn.

Uther eyed the poor sod, "But you do have magic."

Issac looked up, "No! I do not have magic myself, but nothing would heal her, she was sure to die. A person offered me a solution and I took it. I was desperate!"

"And who was this person. I assure you, if you tell us, you will be set free."

Issac hesitated before shaking his head. "I cannot tell you."

Uther eyes did not waver, "Throw him to the dungeons and keep him heavily guarded. Lay the pyre. He will be burned tomorrow morning unless he tells us."

After Issac was led out, Arthur turned to his father. "The man was innocent."

"He was using magic."

"He does not have magic himself, but only used it because he was desperate."

Uther shook his head. "It does not matter. Magic corrupts and I will not have this kingdom fall. The people know the rules. That is that."

Arthur choked down his rage.

* * *

Later the same day, Merlin came to him. "The man that was taken, Issac, he was innocent."

Arthur sighed. "Merlin, we've been over this. I can only influence some choices in the court and Issac _was _caught with using magic. As unfair as it is, there is nothing I can do. I hate it and it's horrible and it will change when I'm king, but until then we have to use what we've got."

"No, Arthur. You don't understand. Who do you think gave him the poultice?"

Arthur turned to him, disbelief flashing in his eye. "Merlin. You wouldn't."

Merlin shrugged. "I'm sorry."

Arthur put his head in his hands. "Why."

The answer was simple really. Merlin had known his daughter from the kitchens. She was a nice girl. He couldn't just stand there and watch her die when he could cure her."

Instead of conveying this to Arthur, he just shrugged. "You know why. And it's not like that's the first time."

It was only when Arthur turned to face him furiously that Merlin realized that that _might_ have been the wrong thing to say.

"What?!"

"Well Arthur what am I going to do? Let people die when I have a cure?"

Merlin stared at him. Arthur stared back.

Arthur was the first to look away. "It couldn't have waited until after Uther stopped tightening security?"

"She wouldn't have lasted that long."

Arthur gave a nod. "And what do you plan to do?"

"You know what I plan to do."

"Then what do you need?"

"A distraction."

"Then you have it. And for God's sake don't get us caught."

Walking past the guards was the easiest. "Message for the prisoner from his loved ones" always got him through. When Issac saw him he ran over clutching the bars. He opened his mouth to speak but Merlin waved his hand for silence. Cracking the lock was also easy with a bit of magic. Issac's eyes widened when he realized what Merlin was doing. Opening the doors as silently as possible, Merlin threw clothes at him. No one would question a soldier. However Issac was well-known to Camelot and people would recognize him, so Merlin also threw a helmet at him. No one would question a soldier, but a soldier with a helmet on meant there would be war. It would be noticeable but it was better than Issac being caught.

As Issac was dressing he looked over at Merlin and whispered, "What is the plan?"

"We're going to get you out." When he said it, it sounded more real, more dangerous.

"We?"

"Me and Prince Arthur."

"Prince Arthur?"  
"Yes. I hardly need to tell you not to tell anyone, correct?"

Issac nodded struggling with the chainmail.

Meanwhile Arthur was speaking to the guards that were guarding the prison. Merlin heard his voice echo back, "I need you for a quick magic assessment of the city. I understand you have to guard the door in case the prisoner escapes but we are running low on men and I need you for just a few minutes."

The men gave no argument. The prince was never wrong. Luckily by that time, Issac had thrown on the clothes and the helmet, and was ready to go. Merlin pushed him to the back of the group of guards that were being led out where he slipped in discreetly. Merlin gave a sigh. It was all going as planned. Merlin had wanted to take Issac's helmet off so he could fit in completely, but Arthur said it would be too much of a risk.

When they had left the dungeons, Merlin pulled Issac to the side. Lucky for both of them Merlin knew every inch of the castle and they could slip into one of the less exposed passageways. After several turns and a few minutes of walking as softly as possible they came to the door to the outer courtyard. Here they were supposed to wait for Arthur to lead a battalion of knights for training. Hopefully these knights would have their helmets on. They waited. Nothing happened. "Come on Arthur! Where are you!" It might have been his imagination, but Merlin could have sworn he had heard someone coming.

Issac turned to him. "Someone's coming." He whispered.

Not his imagination then. Merlin's breathing became more rapid. Worse comes the worse they could just start walking out into the courtyard. But with a helmet on and no sword, that might look a little suspicious. The footsteps became louder.

Luckily Merlin didn't have to stick around to find out who it was because at that moment Arthur came round the bend, a battalion of soldiers in his wake. Merlin had never been so relieved in his life. The knights walked past (wearing helmats) and Issac slipped in and attempted to copy the form of walking they were marching in.

Merlin ran up to where Arthur was leading.

"Safe." He whispered.

Arthur was taking care of keeping his face flat.

"Good."

They marched onward. Normally Merlin would not tag along, but it was not so out of the ordinary that anyone would say anything.

They passed the gates. Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. Finally a plan that went according to schedule.

He ran to the back of the group and pulled Issac to the side. "Come on."

They had only taken a few steps out of the group when the bells began to ring.

Merlin cursed and pulled Issac along faster.

"We've got to get you to your family."

Issac simply nodded and focused on running.

When they reached his house, they found his family packed up and ready to go.

Issac embraced all of them, including the daughter that had been healed with magic.

Merlin watched them from a distance (And no, there was no way he was tearing up, at all)

Issac turned to him. Before Merlin could stop him he was grabbed into a bear hug.

"Thank you so much." Issac's voice was rough.

"No, no really its fine. It was my fault anyway, with the magic and stuff. Really sorry about that by-"

"Sorry!?" Issac laughed and released him. "There is no need to be sorry at all. You have saved my daughter and our family!"

"Well… I wish you the best of luck."

"Also to you, Merlin. Thank you. And the Prince to. Camelot will be a better place when he is king."

"I know."

Issac looked at him with affection.

"I hope to see you again. But if we do not meet again, then goodbye."

Merlin watched them leave with a warm fuzzy feeling in his heart.\

**So I should have some more time for writing because I am finally finished with trig class. Finally. That class gave me a few mental breakdowns. In the next chapter I'm killing off Gaius. Sorry!**


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